The Spider's Mire

"Oh, dear brother, shouldn't you explain what you were doing first?"

Coleman smiled, completely unfazed.

He looked his brother straight in the eyes, calm and composed.

"Just now, you disappeared from the 'map' for quite a while, didn't you?"

Taking out a monitor, Coleman waved it slightly.

"Besides, you weren't fighting Hisoka the entire time, so..."

So what were you doing? My dear brother.

No, perhaps I should ask, what were you and Hisoka doing?

My brother.

Still smiling, Coleman stood where he was, waiting for Illumi's reply.

Can answering a question with another question solve the problem?

Coleman would tell you, it can.

It is merely a matter of seizing the initiative.

As long as you are confident enough, the one in the wrong is not you.

Besides, Coleman hadn't really done anything.

He had just come to take a look at an interesting piece of prey.

And incidentally, he had cleared out a bunch of trash.

Illumi stood still, wondering whether he should explain himself to his younger brother.

After all, he was the one who had discarded the tracker.

He was the one who had run off halfway through to do something else.

He was the one who had stood his brother up.

Yet, Coleman had always followed the promise they made long ago, never hiding his whereabouts from him.

And here he was, having thrown away the tracker Coleman had placed on him...

Tilting his head, Illumi remained expressionless. "I was just working. Hisoka provided some excellent assistance."

Fine, I'll hand this tool over to you.

Between the lines, Coleman understood exactly what his brother meant.

He sighed inwardly at how miserable Hisoka was.

Being used by Illumi as a 'deposit' to pay off Coleman.

"Is that so? Then he's quite useful."

Coleman praised with a smile.

This meant he agreed to Illumi using Hisoka as a substitute.

The incident where both of them had gone missing from each other's sight for no reason was now considered settled.

Coleman would not pursue why Illumi had discarded the tracker, and Illumi would no longer pursue why Coleman had wandered off to this godforsaken place.

"Let's head back, then."

Illumi blinked and suggested.

Shall we turn the page?

"Of course, Father is probably about to come looking for us soon."

Sure, turning the page is fine.

"Indeed, Mother's due date is approaching."

The Zoldyck Family was about to have a fresh cub.

We need to go back and see.

Coleman was lost in thought; it seemed there was indeed such a thing.

"Then let's return to the hotel."

Coleman let the matter of his brother disappearing for several hours slide quite easily.

However, a threat was still a threat.

"Don't let it happen again."

"Same for Coleman."

Illumi agreed to his brother's trivial request with great satisfaction.

And he was very happy.

See, my brother cares about me just as much as I care about him.

Holding his younger brother's small hand, he walked forward, filled with delight.

But, was that really the case?

Coleman, his face full of smiles, simply maintained a perfect expression, saying nothing.

When a python is willing to restrain its own desire for control and possession for your sake, and makes no significant reaction to your disappearance, you must understand that this might not be a python at all.

After all, a python would only use its massive body to coil tighter and tighter around its prey; how could there ever be a moment of relaxation?

Therefore, when someone who should have an extremely strong desire for control and possession shows no such inclination toward you, you should also understand.

Perhaps what you see is merely a facade he has intentionally revealed.

Walking behind Illumi, Coleman looked at his brother's back and smiled.

So, my dear brother, it should be very clear now who is the human and who is the snake.

Hush, do not alert this boy who is so immersed in his own perception.

Otherwise, the python might go mad upon realizing the other is not of its own kind.

Coleman did not want to be strangled to death by a python.

The little gentleman followed behind the child, his expression unfathomable for his age.

The aura he exuded was harmless to both man and beast.

He seemed like one of the masses hidden in a crowd.

Yet, he also seemed like a supreme deity watching coldly from the sidelines.

Let's try something else next time.

For instance... disappearing for two or three days.

Take it slow; I believe brother can broaden his bottom line bit by bit.

Thinking silently, Coleman's lips curled upward.

Challenging his brother's patience.

This would be an interesting game.

Just like...

Training a snake.

Take it slow, don't rush.

Be careful, Coleman, he is your brother after all.

Don't accidentally play him to death.

The game has only just begun.

He admonished himself over and over in his heart.

Yet, his eyes shone with eagerness.

A scarlet tongue licked his dry lips.

Things were starting to get interesting.

Noticing the intensity of the gaze behind him, Illumi merely raised an eyebrow.

Clearly, this Illumi, who had yet to grow up, misunderstood the look in the eyes of a brother whose combined age exceeded thirty.

He was still feeling smug about his younger brother's "possessiveness."

Little did he know...

He had already become the prey in the hunter's hands.

Hush, you mustn't tell him.

Just let him slowly sink while lost in his pride and self-satisfaction.

Like drifting into a swamp while dreaming a beautiful dream.

By the time he realizes it, He will have already fallen into the abyss, Unable to break free.